Aviation Law Monitor

Recent Posts from Aviation Law Monitor

• Mountain Lifeflight EMS Helicopter Crash at Doyle, California

  An A-Star AS350B air ambulance helicopter crashed November 14 at Doyle, California, killing the three crew members on board.  According to an article in the Reno Gazette Journal, the pilot made a distress call before…

• Another Zodiac In-Flight Breakup Triggers an NSTB "I told you so"

  This past April, the NTSB called upon the FAA to ground the entire fleet of Zodiac aircraft because their wings tend to fall off in mid-flight.  As it turns out, a defect in the Zodiac's design induces an…

• Workers Compensation as the Exclusive Remedy for an Injured Crew Member or Pilot

  Generally, crew members may not sue their employers for injuries sustained on the job. Even where the crew member's injury was caused by the negligence  of the employer or one of the crew member's co-employees, the…

• Exosphere3d's Animation of US Airways Flight 1549: Courtroom-Ready

  I blogged about Scene Systems' animation of Flight 1549's landing in the Hudson here back in March.  Great effort, but I noted that it would take hundreds more hours of work before it could be…

• Helicopter - C-130 Midair Collision is Second Crash of Military Helicopter Off San Clemente Island

  Thursday's mid-air collision involving a Coast Guard C-130 and Marine Corps AH-1H Super Cobra was the second military helicopter crash that has occurred east of San Clemente Island since 2007.   On January 26, 2007, four were…

• More Zodiac Victims File Suit

  The families of the victims of the Zodiac crash near Oakdale, California, have filed suit against the aircraft's maker, Zenith Aircraft, alleging that the Zodiac's design is defective. The Zodiac is the two-seat aircraft whose wings…

• How Soon After An Aviation Accident Must An Aviation Attorney Be Hired?

  The victim's family is seldom in the best emotional state to make important decisions right after an airplane or helicopter accident.  The stresses can be overwhelming.  Fortunately, hiring an aviation attorney is one decision that is…

• Pre-Accident Waivers of Liability

  Are written waivers of liability worth the paper they are written on?  The answer, of course, is that it depends.  In California, a waiver that a passenger signs before stepping into an aircraft is enforceable, as long…

• First Air France Flight 447 Lawsuit: Questions and Answers

  The families of Michael and Anne Harris, the American couple on board Air France Flight 447, filed suit this week in Houston federal court.  It's the first lawsuit arising from the crash. The most frequently asked questions about this suit are:…

• Preserving the Aircraft Wreckage

  What happens to the wreckage after an airplane accident? Who gets access to it? What does the aviation accident attorney need to do to make sure it is properly preserved?   Here's what happens:    1. The…